Adolescent — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective /ˌa-də-ˈle-sᵊnt/ ad·o·les·cent

Meaning & Definition of Adolescent

Adolescent (noun)

  1. a young person who is developing into an adult, one who is in the state of adolescence

Adolescent (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, or being in adolescence
  2. emotionally or intellectually immature

Adolescent (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being in the early stage of life, growth, or development

    "an adolescent sheepdog, who hasn't quite gotten the hang of keeping the sheep huddled together"

    similar: immature, juvenile, young, youngish, youthful
    related: ephebic, minor, preteen, subadult, teenage, underage, embryonic, emergent, callow, green, inexperienced, puerile, raw, babyish, childish, childlike, infantile, infantine, kiddish, undeveloped, unfinished, unfledged, unformed, unripe, unripened, blooming, blossoming, burgeoning, flourishing, flowering
    opposite: adult, grown-up, mature, matured
    near: aged, aging, ancient, elderly, geriatric, long-lived, old, older, oldish, senescent, senior, full-blown, full-fledged, golden, mellow, ripe, ripened, middle-aged, anile, decrepit, doddering, over-the-hill, senile, spavined, tottery

  2. having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children

    "would hope that the college students had outgrown such adolescent behavior"

    similar: babyish, childish, immature, infantile, jejune, juvenile, kiddish, puerile
    related: boyish, brattish, bratty, girlie, girlish, childlike, innocent, naive, simple, simplistic, unsophisticated
    opposite: adult, grown-up, mature
    near: unchildlike, cosmopolitan, experienced, knowing, smart, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise

  3. lacking in adult experience or maturity

    "took a group of adolescent recruits and turned them into professional warriors"

    similar: callow, green, immature, inexperienced, juvenile, puerile, raw, unfledged, unformed, unripe, unripened, wet behind the ears
    related: babyish, childish, infantile, infantilized, infantine, boyish, girlish, juvenescent, kiddish, young, youngish, youthful, maidenly, virginal, ingenuous, innocent, naive, tender, unknowing, unseasoned, unsophisticated, untrained, untried
    opposite: adult, experienced, grown-up, mature, ripe
    near: advanced, precocious, knowing, savvy, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise

Adolescent (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in kid, teenager

    similar: juvenile, kid, kiddie, kiddo, minor, moppet, teenager, tween, youngling, youngster, boy, boychick, boyo (Irish), callant (chiefly Scottish), lad, laddie, nipper, shaveling, shaver, sonny, stripling, tad, youth, gamin, guttersnipe, hobbledehoy, imp, squirt, urchin, whippersnapper, schoolboy, toddler, tot, tyke, mama's boy

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Adolescent

The most common words with a similar meaning to Adolescent:

Irish: boyo
Chiefly Scottish: callant
immature, juvenile, young, youngish, youthful, babyish, childish, infantile, jejune, kiddish, puerile, callow, green, inexperienced, raw, unfledged, unformed, unripe, unripened, wet behind the ears, kid, kiddie, kiddo, minor, moppet, teenager, tween, youngling, youngster, boy, boychick, lad, laddie, nipper, shaveling, shaver, sonny, stripling, tad, youth

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Adolescent

Words with the opposite meaning of Adolescent:

adult, grown-up, mature, matured, experienced, ripe

Related Words for Adolescent

ephebic, preteen, subadult, teenage, underage, embryonic, emergent, childlike, infantine, undeveloped, unfinished, blooming, blossoming, burgeoning, flourishing, flowering, boyish, brattish, bratty, girlie, girlish, innocent, naive, simple, simplistic, unsophisticated, infantilized, juvenescent, maidenly, virginal

Near Antonyms of Adolescent

aged, aging, ancient, elderly, geriatric, long-lived, old, older, oldish, senescent, senior, full-blown, full-fledged, golden, mellow, ripened, middle-aged, anile, decrepit, doddering, over-the-hill, senile, spavined, tottery, unchildlike, cosmopolitan, knowing, smart, sophisticated, worldly

Word Forms of Adolescent

Derived words: adolescently (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Adolescent

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin adolēscent-, adolēscens "young man or woman, youth," noun derivative of adolēscens adolescent:2

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Adolescent

Words & Phrases Containing Adolescent

subadolescent

Frequently Asked Questions about Adolescent

What does "Adolescent" mean?

"Adolescent" means a young person who is developing into an adult, one who is in the state of adolescence. As an a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: a young person who is developing into an adult, one who is in the state of adolescence. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Adolescent"?

Other words for "Adolescent" include immature, juvenile, young, youngish, youthful, babyish, childish and infantile. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Adolescent" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Adolescent"?

There are 90 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Adolescent". Common alternatives include immature, juvenile, young, youngish, youthful, babyish, childish, infantile, jejune and kiddish.

What is the opposite of "Adolescent"?

Antonyms of "Adolescent" include adult, grown-up, mature, matured, experienced and ripe. Near antonyms include aged, aging, ancient and elderly.

How do you use "Adolescent" in a sentence?

Examples of "Adolescent" in a sentence: "an adolescent sheepdog, who hasn't quite gotten the hang of keeping the sheep huddled together"; "would hope that the college students had outgrown such adolescent behavior"; "took a group of adolescent recruits and turned them into professional warriors".

Is "Adolescent" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Adolescent" can be used as a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Adolescent" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Adolescent" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Adolescent"?

"Adolescent" is pronounced /ˌa-də-ˈle-sᵊnt/ and divided into syllables as ad·o·les·cent.